


Right There With You

by snowkind



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-13 08:50:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11756289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowkind/pseuds/snowkind
Summary: After a chase goes wrong, Lance gets severely injured and Keith blames himself





	Right There With You

**Author's Note:**

> HNNNNG, I just have a lot of feelings about what goes down in this new season, and I'm not entirely sure what to do with them 
> 
> This work is set after the events of the "The Hunted" episode in season 3,   
> It's not **super** shippy, but just know that the undertones are there (๑ゝڡ◕๑) ♡
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please don't hesitate to let me know!  
> I don't own any of the characters unless stated otherwise.
> 
> Love,
> 
> May ( ˘ ³ ˘ )♥
> 
> P.S. The story is most likely embellished with various spelling errors and grammar issues... I tend to overlook a few things while writing and even re-reading! If you happen to spot any problems, please let me know so I may fix it! Thank you!

            “—EITH!!” The static crackled loudly, popping bits of Allura’s voice in and out of existence. “KEITH!”

Keith grit his teeth while he maneuvered the lion through the thick, ominous fog. He wasn’t going to let Lotor get away… _couldn’t_ let Lotor get away. It had been rooted in his mind that **this** was the only opportunity they were going to get, and regardless of whatever his teammates were trying to tell him, Keith wasn’t about to let this chance slip through his fingers.

It was all very simple: he was going to capture Lotor, question him to see if he could find any hints on Shiro’s whereabouts, and then take him out.

            “KEITH! LANCE IS DOWN!”

Keith jerked the piloting handles back so that he came to a swift halt.

            “STOP CHASING AFTER LOTOR, WE _NEED_ TO GET LANCE SOME MEDICAL ATTENTION! DO YOU HEAR ME? WE MUST RETURN BACK TO THE CASTLE!”

The radio dissolved into a monotonous hum as Keith remained suspended among the rocky crags of the planet. The burning anger that had kept his mind alight the entire chase was abruptly extinguished. His skin prickled with a sudden chill.

Lotor… Lotor was within his grasp. Keith could _feel_ it in his veins, but they had made too many blunders in the beginning to have any chance of capturing the prince. 

If only the Black Lion had listened to him better…

If only Allura had better control of the Blue Lion…

If only Lance…

 _Lance_.

There was no time for _if’s_ anymore. What had happened very certainly happened, and what needed to be done right now was to retreat back to the castle. 

Keith’s tongue curled in his mouth at the distasteful thought of falling back, but a more pressing concern filled his mind while he piloted the lion back to the castle. He could barely board the hangar correctly without wanting to just abandon the robot so he could see where Lance was. 

            “Coran, is everyone on board?” Keith tried to suppress the mixture of high-strung emotions that had laced his voice.

Silence. 

            “ _Coran_.” Keith pressed urgency into the name.

Still more silence.

            “Allura?” Keith hastily made his way to the medical wing.

No answer.

            “Pidge?” Keith’s footsteps quickened in pace and echoed within the winding halls. “Hunk?”

Nothing.

            “…Lance?”

The central door leading into the medical wing hissed open. A heavy feeling of despair weighed down onto Keith’s shoulders when he saw the remaining members of his team clustered around Lance’s motionless body. 

            “Guys?” Keith’s voice cracked when he took a few hesitant steps forward.

Allura slowly looked up from Lance’s side, an indescribable look of sadness etched into her features. Keith stopped walking.

            “I-Is Lance…” His throat tightened.

            “Lance is going to be okay.” Allura spoke tersely and looked back down at the boy. “He’s been critically injured, however, and I don’t see him piloting the lion anytime soon.”

A feeling of relief surged through Keith at Allura’s initial remark, but the seed of guilt had already been planted.

Lance opened his eyes several hours after the failed attempt to apprehend the Galran prince. He groaned slightly and immediately felt the need to throw up everything he had eaten prior to their mission. A rapid shuffling noise turned his attention to the side where he saw Keith staring at him. The boy’s eyes were wide like a child’s, and just as easy to read.

            “It wasn’t your fault.” Lance swallowed hard to try and get the other words out. “I’m fine. How’s everyone else?”

            “They’re all resting right now.” Keith’s lips drew tight against his teeth. “Lance, I’m really sorr—”

            “Could you get me some water? Or anything to drink. And maybe a bag while you’re at it, I feel like I’m about to blow chunks any second now.” Lance struggled to prop himself up on the medical bed.

Keith quickly stood up and nodded.

During Keith’s temporary absence, Lance was able to assess that he had a couple of broken ribs, a fractured finger or two, and multiple gashes of all sizes running along the once smooth planes of his body.

            “I guess Red is a little faster than I’m used to.” Lance spoke with a lilt of amusement in his voice when Keith returned. “Takes ‘ _Gotta go fast_ ’ to a whole different level.”

Keith gingerly pressed a hand to Lance’s shoulder when he offered the water.

            “Don’t move too much… Allura said the stitching might come undone.” 

Lance looked up at the other with a curious expression, and then stared at the glass that Keith was holding. He hesitated for a moment before succumbing to the thirst and allowing Keith to help tilt the glass so he could drink entirely hands free. 

            “Are you hungry?” Keith withdrew the empty glass when Lance was done. “I can see if Hunk can make something.”

            “It’s fine.” Lance grinned. “Probably wouldn’t stay down long anyways. Water is good though, thanks.”

Keith grunted a soft reply, the last noise before they were dipped into awkward silence.

            “You know,” Lance spoke up first before Keith could decide what to say. “how when people are close to dying they say that their life flashes before their eyes?”

Keith shifted uncomfortably.

            “My life… didn’t flash because I knew I’d be fine.” Lance finished with a laugh. “Just a couple of scratches. I’m fine, Keith, so there’s no need to feel so bad about it.”

            “No, Lance, you’re—”

            “Okay, so maybe it’s more than a couple of _scratches_ , but I’m alive aren’t I? And sure we can just get the obvious out of the way and say that you were acting like a dick when you wouldn’t stop chasing down Lotor, but I get it. We all get a bit dick-y sometimes when we have a plan in mind but it just turns to utter shit. What’s most important, though, is the end result. We couldn’t catch Lotor, but we’ve learned that we have a lot of work to do if we want to be able to get back on our feet and form Voltron. This gives us another chance to make ourselves stronger so the next time we do clash against Lotor, we’ll be ready.”

Keith burst into a peculiar chuckle that dripped with obvious annoyance.

            “The Black Lion should’ve chosen you.”

            “What?”

Keith turned his face to the side, and a dark shadow cast over his eyes.

            “I’m saying you’re more fit to be a leader than I am.”

            “What are you talki—”

            “I was an idiot out there, Lance.”

            “Well… yeah, kinda. But—”

            “An idiot that almost got you killed!” Keith ground his teeth together. “It was my fault. I couldn’t think straight because I was too focused on Lotor, so I led the team into a peril that I could have easily avoided if I just had my head on straight. A person like that… like me doesn’t deserve to lead. That’s why I’m saying the Black Lion should’ve chosen you, Lance. Shiro was wrong…”

            “Dude! Can I say something now without being cut off?” Lance huffed with exaggeration. “We already established that you messed it up back there, weren’t you listening to anything I said? I feel offended.” A pause. “But it definitely sounds better when you admitted it.”

Keith turned to look back at Lance.

            “Might as well be my birthday or something,” Lance beamed at the other. “being able to hear the great Keith admit that he’s an idiot. You know way way waaaaaaaay back when we were still training at the Galaxy Garrison? And you got expelled?”

Keith blinked with a look of confusion at the sudden topic change.

            “I thought at the time about how stupid you were to not keep your chance in the program, and I tried to use that power vacuum you left to push myself so I could work harder and become the top of my class… But even _after_ you got expelled people were still talking about you. Comparing themselves to you. I didn’t understand why everyone thought you were so good… and I guess I didn’t want to admit that I looked up to you as well.”

Lance inhaled slowly and studied Keith’s face to see if he was still following along. 

            “It’s because you’re quick thinking. You’re talented. Brave. Serious when the situation calls for it, and being able to be with you all this time, I know that you’re calm when you need to be. You’re only hotheaded when something is bothering you, and I know it’s because of Shiro’s disappearance. Shiro wasn’t wrong when he said he wanted you to lead. I respect you as a leader… _my_ leader. We all do. But you’re not invincible either. You can’t just bottle up everything and beat yourself about it. No one is perfect, but we damn well can get close if we are together. We work together so we can avoid the worst possible outcomes.”

            “I get it, Lance. I get it.” Keith’s voice wavered and his vocal chords felt taut to the point of snapping.

            “Are you…Are you crying?” Lance felt the corners of his mouth curl upward.

            “Not. Not really.” Keith swiped at his eyes and creased his eyebrows together. “It’s just a lot to—”

            “—to handle?” Lance finished off his sentence with a smile. “Yeah, receiving compliments from me is big feat. I get why you’re overwhelmed.” He chuckled softly. “You don’t have to burden any of this alone. We’re a **team** , Keith.” 

Keith nodded slowly, tears now streaming down his face quicker than before.

            “Yeah.”

Lance reached forward so he could press his palm to Keith’s chest.

            “Team means family, and family means no one gets left behind.”

            “I don’t think…” Keith started to say before being shushed by Lance’s finger.

            “Just let that sink in for a little. You should probably get some rest too.”

            “No, I’m fine. I’m not tired at all. I’ll stay here and make sure everything with you is fine. If anything, _you_ should be the one resting.” Keith let out an unexpected yawn, cheeks flushing a bit by the action. 

            “I never said I wanted you to leave.” Lance breathed the words softly. “You can still rest, just here… by my side.”

Keith’s eyes widened a fraction before letting out a stuttering ‘ _oh_ ’.

            “And if I still need to throw up at some point, you can be here to help. Right in the splash zone too.”

            “Dude, that is so gross.”

Lance laughed, which prompted Keith to break into a tiny smile.

Keith sat back down at Lance’s side, not realizing when their hands had gotten intertwined.

            “Thank you, Lance.

             For everything.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for sticking around and for reading this short drabble to the end!  
> It really means a lot to me when you leave a comment or give this work a kudos, but it really means a lot more to me considering the fact that you've even read one of my works!  
> I am so grateful to have such kind supporters, and I'd just like to thank you all for also bearing with any potential discrepancy in characterization of the various characters I have made!
> 
> I hope you have a phenomenal remainder of the day!
> 
> P.S. If you have any requests/would like to read about a certain event or AU feel free to leave a comment or message me on my [Tumblr](http://solotrooper.tumblr.com)!


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